Diversity fuels creativity, drives innovation, and inspires expression. The Eskenazi School actively upholds diversity, equity, and inclusion as critical principles of our research, teaching, and service. We validate the voice and potential of every member of our community, strive to create a culture where difference is valued, and celebrate multiple perspectives within and beyond the School. We believe that social and cultural consciousness can inspire meaningful dialogue and empower all to become influential and fulfilled citizens of the world.
Values
Inclusive excellence
Cross-cultural understanding
A broad definition of diversity
Regard for marginalized voices
Equality and equity for all people
Goals
In order to nurture and demonstrate our values of inclusive excellence, the Eskenazi School must consistently deliver students, faculty, and staff experiences of cross-cultural understanding with regard for marginalized and minoritized voices. An inclusive climate requires IDEA programming, activities, and communication that emphasize diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values. An ongoing demonstration of these values will enhance recruitment and retention and create a welcoming community that values difference.
Fostering an inclusive and equitable experience includes ongoing assessment of curriculum, facilities, programming, and climate.
This goal focuses on creating a transparent structure for active recruitment that will ensure a more diverse body of students, staff, and faculty. We seek to understand and address the barriers minoritized and marginalized groups face during the admissions and hiring process. We also commit to a cultural shift in the Eskenazi School that will support a diverse group of people who join our community. We must first acknowledge that we are all responsible for these efforts.
In the recruitment of faculty, staff, and students, we must address unconscious bias. Our goal should be an inclusive and equitable culture where employees and students are comfortable to be themselves and feel their voices matter. This includes ensuring transparency in hiring practices and forms of recruitment, as well as collecting feedback from constituents on hiring and recruiting practices.
Involve faculty and students in developing and implementing strategies that intentionally construct forums for:
valuing differences;
celebrating multiple perspectives;
building inclusive teaching and cross-cultural competencies across the Eskenazi School’s curriculum and academic programs;
addressing inequities in teaching/curriculum.
This goal is important in giving our students a broad, multi-faceted experience that expands on the foundation of the liberal arts education. Incorporating a variety of social and cultural viewpoints makes for a dynamic learning environment in which students are challenged to question assumptions and move beyond their own perspectives. We must address exclusionary histories of museums and gallery spaces within our course content at all levels. Students can then gain a more complete understanding of our complex history as well as the contemporary world and will be more cross-culturally equipped upon entering professional life as artists, designers, and merchandisers responding to the ever-evolving global landscape.
By addressing IDEA issues through creative activity and research, the Eskenazi School can foster innovative approaches to understanding complex social issues, encourage cross-disciplinary interaction, and create inclusive frameworks for new voices to shape human knowledge and understanding.
Simultaneous to developing a strong IDEA climate within the Eskenazi School, we must also consider our strategies for communicating, sharing, and promoting that culture beyond the school itself, so that our IDEA values face outward. This will enable us to:
develop a higher quality and quantity of partnerships;
learn more from aspirational collaborators;
share our growing expertise with others;
become an IDEA leader in the disciplines of art, architecture, design, and merchandising.
Strategic Actions
Recruit from diverse populations to enhance the representation within the School and increase retention of faculty, staff, and students.
Implement best practices in listening to stakeholders and learning about the climate of IDEA in the School.
Engage with faculty, staff, and students to take responsibility for sustaining the School’s inclusive climate.
Develop IDEA co-curricular programming that complements the curricular offerings of the School.
Provide support and visibility for research and creative activity that engages matters of equity and inclusion.
Establish IDEA partnerships and collaborations across campus and with other higher education institutions.
Create a comprehensive marketing campaign that highlights the School’s IDEA initiatives and success stories through various platforms.
Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design resources and social media channels
